SECONDARY teachers will start industrial action on Wednesday October 2, when they withdraw from meetings outside school hours.

These include school planning and policy development meetings, staff and parent teacher meetings, and in-service training for teachers.

The decision was taken by the leadership of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) today, after members rejected the Haddington road Agreement on pay and productivity.

The union will also refuse to co-operate with any teacher training for the new style Junior Certificate and will not undertake duties arising from vacated middle management posts unless it is reflected in their pensions.

ASTI General Secretary Pat King said while teachers were anxious not to disrupt their students’ education, ASTI members had voted by a two to one majority in favour of industrial action.

“The loss of classroom teachers from schools, the withdrawal of guidance services, the axing of middle management posts, the tying up of teachers’ time and energy with extra administrative work – these are the actions that have disrupted and damaged the education of our young people in recent years”, he said

Other teaching unions, including the INTO and the Teachers' Union of Ireland, have supported the Haddington Road agreement which will change pay and working regimes across the public service.